Report -Drakes Island, Plymouth

Admin

Funny one this. After doing Greenham Common we set off for Plymouth in the Landy, with tons of kit including a boat

After a bit of a nose around Plymouth, we found a place to launch the boat, and off we set to the island. After about 10 minutes we were there and beached the boat on a sandy bit of beach. We dragged the boat up the beach and made it secure...

A look at the front of the island showed no access points so we climbed the rocks and went around the back, and found a shale cliff that was climbable. Just. Halfway up my footholds disappeared to a place quite lower down the cliff, you know the feeling of impending doom, well I felt it just then... but we pressed on.

The first thing we saw was the gun emplacements and the actual cannons. I always thought that they would be longer and thinner, more like modern day artillery for some reason...

Then, down to the battery offices and ammo storage. It was good to see so many original features still relatively complete...

Next, down to the admin and barracks...

Then the exit...

We didn't really feel that we would like to go back down the cliff, so we tried the front gate. This was really really tight, I can't stress that enough. On my third bone-crushing flesh-bruising attempt, I was half way out when my maglite in my pocket wedged me in the gap, Riddlers had to cut the maglite out of my pocket a bit to close with that blade for my liking.

Anyway, we got out and away, and back to the start point, loaded up the landy and away.